Latino parents have lower levels of school involvement compared to other ethnic groups, which is often attributed--though not tested--to low English language proficiency. Using a population-based sample of 637 7th grade Latino youth attending an urban school district, we find no significant difference in maternal school involvement when mothers…

Research on depression among Latinx populations is increasing; however, a focus on what triggers depression among this community is lacking. This study aims to identify perceived triggers for depression through a secondary analysis of 28 adolescent girls who self-identified as Latinx (mean age = 17.07 years, SD = 0.77). Sixty-one percent of the…

Language brokering refers to the global practice whereby children in immigrant communities are called upon by family members to serve as linguistic and cultural intermediaries by translating and interpreting. Past research has examined the effects of brokering on parent-child relationships, mental health, and substance abuse and feelings toward…

This study examines the relationship between Hispanic English learners' learning, their parents' involvement, and their teachers' empowerment through professional knowledge. It is believed that Hispanic parents' involvement in their children's school activities is more influential to academic performance and educational attitudes than is teacher…

This study examined the impact of the Abriendo Puertas parent education program among a large sample of low-income, Latino parents and caregivers of preschool children. In all, 922 parents were randomly assigned to the program (n = 468) or a waitlist control group (n = 454). Pretest data and posttest data (5-6 weeks postintervention) from parents…

We have an ethical and a scientific imperative to do research that reflects the views and learning experiences of historically marginalized groups. Most studies that use a critical methodological approach rely on qualitative data. This article describes how a critical approach to recruitment, data collection, and retention can help to ensure that…

Parental involvement has often shared a positive correlation with student academic achievement. To better understand parental involvement dynamics among middle-class Latino families, in-depth parent interviews were conducted among 21 such parents. Results from this study which add to the educational literature include high levels of academic…

One hundred dyads of low-income, Spanish-speaking mothers and their bilingual children (age = 12-18; M = 14.12, SD = 1.89) who have language brokered for the mother (i.e., culturally or linguistically mediated between the mother and English speakers) were surveyed. Multiple goals theory posits that mothers and children who do not recognize and…

This study examined whether longitudinal trajectories of academic support from mothers, fathers, and teachers predicted trajectories of Latino adolescents' (N = 323) academic motivation. Findings indicated those boys' perceptions of mothers' and fathers' academic support and girls' perceptions of mothers' academic support declined throughout high…

Recent studies reveal early and wide gaps in cognitive and oral language skills--whether gauged in English or Spanish--among Latino children relative to White peers. Yet, other work reports robust child health and social development, even among children of Mexican American immigrants raised in poor households, the so-called "immigrant…

A vast literature documents a host of advantages conferred upon middle class European American children whose parents employ an authoritative style of parenting, including enhanced academic achievement and positive behavioral outcomes. The literature is much less clear about the relationship between parental authority style and child outcomes in…

The cultural competence of 13 parenting education programs for Latino families with young children was examined in this study. Based on our analyses, we make several recommendations for improving the cultural competence and effectiveness of parenting education programs for Latino families with young children. Specifically, we recommend the…

This study explores the consequences of increasingly restrictive immigration policies on social capital among Mexican mothers with unauthorized immigrant status in Arizona. Three focus groups conducted in Arizona explore how mothers' experiences with immigration policies have affected their neighborhood, community, and family ties. Focus group…

This study examined the role of parent-child separations during serial migration to the United States in predicting individual- and family-level outcomes in Mexican immigrant families. We assessed parents' subjective appraisals of their family's separation and reunion experiences to explore associations with self-reported acculturative stress,…

In an effort to better understand possible pathways that lead to a relatively high incidence of depressive symptoms among Mexican American youth, an interpersonal stress model of depression was tested using a community sample of 674 Mexican American mothers and their 5th grade children. Structural equation analyses revealed that maternal…